External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has offered to help a Pakistani Hindu girl who aspires to be a doctor in India but cannot appear in the medical entrance examination for want of Indian citizenship or NRI/OCI documents.
Seventeen-year-old Mashal Maheshwari had scored 91 per cent marks in her Class XII CBSE exams this year. However, she ran into a roadblock while filling the All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) submission form because of her Pakistani citizenship. Mashal had migrated with her doctor parents to Jaipur two years back. She now either needs to be an Indian citizen or have NRI/ OCI status to take the NEET entrance test on July 24. Sources said the third category is for diplomatic channels but Mashal falls in none of these categories.
When Swaraj saw Mashal’s story on television, she promptly promised her help and look into the matter personally. However, it is not clear what the minister will do unless the girl gets documentation done. “Mashal - Don’t be disappointed my child. I will personally take up your case for admission in a Medical College,” Swaraj tweeted on Sunday night.
Speaking to news agencies, Mashal said that the AIPMT form accepts only two categories - either Person of Indian Origin or NRI. Since Mashal falls in neither category, she hasn’t been able to submit her form. She also said that she and her parents cannot afford the donation for a private college.
